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Charleston, SC – South Carolina residents could be ringing in 2026 with temperatures more typical of early spring, as long-range forecasts point to a stretch of near-record warmth developing after Christmas and continuing into the New Year.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 8–14 day temperature outlook for Saturday, December 27 through Friday, January 2 strongly favors above-normal temperatures across South Carolina, including Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, and much of the coastal plain and Midlands.
In the Charleston area, daytime highs during the post-Christmas to New Year’s stretch are expected to climb well above late-December averages, with some days potentially approaching or challenging daily temperature records. December normally brings cooler, drier air to the Lowcountry, making the projected warmth especially noticeable along the coast.
Meteorologists say the warm pattern is being driven by a broad ridge of high pressure anchored over the eastern United States, limiting cold air intrusions from the north and keeping winter storm systems displaced well away from the Southeast…